A Solomon Island Woman

Suanatali Village, Velallavela Village in Gao Bugotu, Ysabel  In Honiara, everyone complains almost about everything and anything. On social media you can see that and it gives me the impression that we are a generation of ungrateful people. So full of negative energy we don’t have anything good to say about anything! You will note on social media if someone posts something positive only a few people will be commenting but if someone posts something negative a hog of flies will rain down all kinds of crap comments in seconds. I have had the opportunity to travel around the Solomon Islands and recently to the western province I find totally the opposite. Our rural people live in leaf huts and yet they are the happiest people full of gratitude towards life. No wonder we were called the Happy Isles! In each community were welcomed with such warmth, hosted and fed like a king. By people who own no earthly possessions but what nature brings, in the land and sea. ...

Sister, I’ve come to you with my black eye and bruises’  ‘I’m afraid of your hubby, don’t want to get involved,  Go to big brother’ ‘Brother, can you shelter and feed four more mouths?’  ‘Any time sis but my wife’s tongue is sharper than a two-edged sword,  Ask Dad ‘Dad, I’ve come back with my problems, plus three kids’  ‘What did I say daughter? I was against this marriage from the start, but you were too strong for me and wouldn’t listen Go back to your husband, he owns you now’ ‘Policeman, help me My husband belted me up last night’  ‘I’m sorry, but this is a domestic affair It’s private,  I don’t want to pry’ ‘Pastor, is there any consolation or prayer for my tormented soul?  I’d divorce him if I could’  ‘You can’t ’cos you have promised, and the Bible says, ‘No divorce’’ Impossible to go back to dad,  Sis doesn’t want to get involved Can’t stand sis-in-laws tongue  The police don’t want to pry I don’t want ...

The trend today in Solomon Islands is a lot of women are entering the formal work force and that has given a great shift in domestic duties for women. Women find themselves in difficult and most challenging situations trying to juggle work, family and life. It is even more challenging for women at the senior levels. With the work output required of them and the family commitment on the other hand it is amazing how some women keep calm and sane if I may use that word. For me it has definitely increased my responsibilities as a mother, care giver, wife and an employee! Sometimes I call myself a “supermom” but then there a times when I just lost it. Women’s roles are changing and so are the expectations of women. For these reasons in my view alot of women who could have aspired into higher positions and qualifications decide to be content at where they are now. If they are to compete to get to the top it means less time with the children, and definitely more arguments and disagre...

It has been 38 years since Solomon Islands gained independence from Great Britain. Only 3 women made it to the National Parliament, at the provincial government level a handful of women but still the numbers are way too small. A lot of research has been done to find out the reasons why this is so and some recommendations . The Young Women Parliamentary Group (YWPG )did a survey in 2014 elections to find voters behavior towards women candidates. The survey only covered central Honiara so it would be biased for me to say that it represents the whole of Solomon Islands. Anyways the findings stated that the number one barrier to women's participation is because of Vote buying. Just because she doesn't have the money to buy votes and many other material things she is at a disadvantage.Other reasons include gendered cultural leadership and male numerical dominance. In my view for women to make it to Parliament they need to be economically empowered! If ...